Emergent Idol #5-1

I am tired of doing this daily, so I will just run through the rest of Emergent Idol's Top 10 today. I start with #5 because the U2 post was a bit premature.

#5 John Mayer- The earnestness of Emergent must be taken seriously. I think this artist has done much to show that men can be sensitive to the needs of women and allow them to lead. He has shown that talent alone does not make an artist, one needs that sensitivity to give the people what they want... what they need in fact. While some would call this chickified, what is wrong with that? So what if John Mayer, and Emergent, is led by chickified men. John Mayer has proven that people will listen and buy what you sell them, if it is in a pretty package, has lyrics which move you and waters down the historical music he loves (blues for him/ atonement for Emergent).

#4 Indigo Girls- yes critics you were right about Emergent. It is pushing a GLBT agenda of Liberal Christianity led by women (it is even worse than being chickified and girly). It is also overly earnest and obsessed with its own pain and suffering at the hands of its oppressors. At least we got that out of the way. Even though "there's not enough room in this world for my pain" and it cannot be solved by a solitary folk singer, it can be solved by 2 womyn with guitars.

#3 Eminem- Emergent is angry. It has a band mouth. It is led by a bunch of upper middle class white males that want to embrace and share the creation of non-whites (African, Liberation theology for EV and rap for Eminen. It wants to offend people. Worst of all, it sounds really cool to the younger generation and will corrupt them, especially when it embraces Elton John's agenda.

#2 (TIE) Korn and Marilyn Manson- Even angrier than Eminem, these bands make no bones about their disdain for religious norms and morays. They deconstruct music, mix dangerous ideas and musical forms that should not be mixed into a cacophony of mixed metaphors, noise and

garbage. Too many young people find them appealing, so they must be stopped, or copied, but with better theology and worse hair and music, so kids do not need to to discern for themselves. Thank God for CCM and relevant churches which can take all the forms and make them palatable to a safe audience. Plus, these artists ruin good old classic songs, much like Emerging Christians do with their updates of hymns.

#1 Carmen- a master story teller, one that can take a tiny bit of Scripture and turn it into a narrative using the prophetic imagination, just like Walter Brueggemann taught us. He is believes strongly in narrative forms of preaching and does not let systematic theology or creedal statements get in the way of what he feels compelled to share. He may be dismissed by his critics, but his strong Christological message shines through his songs. plus, he totally could have won American Idol if it had been around in his day.

ghost writer for today's posting- John Driscoll